Be it known that I, HENRY Gr. RUNNE, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to toys and more particularly to rocking toys and it has for its object to provide a device of this nature of simple construction that may be produced at a low cost and which willbe adapted for the amusement of very small children. The improvements are directed toward rendering the rocker safe in use and sodevised as to be easily mounted by the child without assistance. To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as V will be hereinafter more fully described, the

novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: V

Figure 1 is a top view of a rocking toy constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a front view, and

Figs. 4; and 5 are diagrammatic views illustrative of the respective extreme angles of tilting movement.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

In the present instance, I have shown my improvements embodied in a rocking toy simulating in form and ornamentation the body of a duck which has a relatively squat figure adapted to my purpose of providing an extremely low seat, but the design or ornamental appearance is not a part of the invention to be claimed herein. It is constructed in this embodiment of plane or flat sawed lumber and the major parts consists of a seat board 1, two longitudinally extending rockers 2 secured to the under side thereof and a standard 3 located forwardly of the board 1 and rising vertically therefrom.

The rockers 2 are of eccentric curvature, the

forward portion A thereof'being struck on the shorter radius indicated by the dotted line a, while the rearward portion B is Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 14:, 1920,

1919. S eria1No.293,18 4.

struck on a radius Z) having its center above the center of the other curve which latter center, as shown, comes at a point just forward of which the standard 3 is arranged.

' The said standard preferably proceeds'forwardly and upwardly fromthis point in a gentle curve'and itperform s two functions, to limit the forward seating point of the rider and to serve as a. lever by means of which the device is rocked. For this latter purpose, the standard is provided with two laterally extending hand grips Larranged near its top which the rider grasps and which assist him in shifting his weight back and forth.

In use, the seat board 1 is so low and the spread of the rockers 2 so great that the child can easily crawl into a sitting posture in which he straddles the board '1 without falling and without overturning the device. The standard 3, as before mentioned,

I positions him properly so that he is balof the standard 3. This tendency to slide,

off rearwardly is not so great as the rearward tipping angle, as shown in Fig. 5, is small, due to the greater radius of the curvature B and the longer overhang at 6.

The differences in curvature of the rockers at front and rear attain another result. I have found by experiment that, in the position that he naturally occupies, it is easier for the child to throw his body backward and his weight rearwardly than it is to throw it forwardly. The more abrupt curve A therefore assists him in the forward movement, while the gradual'curve B is used during the period of his greater freedom I I claim asmy invention:

1. In a toy, the combination with a seat board having a forwardly arranged stand ard adapted to limit the forward seating point of the rider, of a rocker support therefor of. eccentric curvature, the forward portion being struck on a radius having said seating point as an approximate center and the rear portion being struck on a. longer radius having its centerabove the first mentioned center. i

2. In a toy, the combination with a rocker support of eccentric curvature, the forward portion thereof being struck on .the shorter radius, of a seat board mounted thereon having an overhang at each end, that atthe rear end being of greater extent.

3. In a toy, the combination with a rocker support'of eccentric curvature, the forward portion thereof being struckon'the shorter radius, of a seat board mounted thereon having an overhang at the rear end to limit rearward tilting to a low angle, and a standard arranged forwardly of the seat board to limit the forward seating point of the rider.

4:. In a toy, the combination with a seat board, of a rocker support therefor of eccentric curvature, the forward'portion thereof being struck on the shorter radius, and a standard on the seat board located directly above said portion of shorter radius.